The use of chemical or monomer vapor deposition techniques have been advantageously applied to the preparation of a number of useful products. For example, effective moisture and oxygen barrier films have been prepared by applying to a substrate alternating layers of metal oxides by sputtering techniques and polymeric layers by vapor deposition techniques. The moisture and oxygen barrier properties and flexibility of such films make them useful for a wide variety of applications, such as food and drug packaging and protective films for electronic devices, such as solar cells, OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) devices, and organic micro-electronic devices.
In the fabrication of the polymeric film layers by monomer vapor deposition, it is known to supply a polymerizable monomer to an atomizer, and then to pass the atomized liquid droplets through a vaporization chamber before directing the vaporized monomer onto a target surface. The vaporized monomer is subsequently polymerized, for example, by ultraviolet radiation, to form a thin layer of polymeric material with beneficial properties.
In the fabrication of inorganic film layers by chemical vapor deposition, it is known to supply an organic or organometallic precursor to an atomizer, and then to pass the atomized liquid droplets through a vaporization chamber before directing the vaporized precursor toward a target surface. At the target surface, the vaporized precursor is reacted with other gaseous or vapor material, for example, by thermal energy or plasma, to form a thin layer of inorganic material with beneficial properties.
In the fabrication of polymeric or bioactive film layers by spray coating, it is known to supply a solution of polymer or bioactive material and solvent (organic or aqueous) to an atomizer, and then to direct the atomized liquid droplets toward a target surface to form a coating of thin polymeric or bioactive material with beneficial properties.